PHD Guiding and QHY5v- black screen

[philip57]

I purchased from bern at modern astronomy the QHY5v guiding camera and he supplied the useful set up instructions.

Everything installed perfectly. I then opened QGVideo32 ( provided on the CD) and it connected instantly to camera . I closed QGVideo32. Then opened PHD Guiding, the CMOS QHY5v camera was found , the camera red light came on. I took the cover off lens and pointed it directly to a light source to make sure it was working and i still got the black screen in PHD. Surely the screen should lighten dramatically

I am trying to make sure everyhting works ok before setting up on my finderscope and using it at night.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Philip

[ianaiken]

If it's black in qvideo app then the camera is likely broke. The sensors are very sensitive and it shouldn't be knocked about and definately not dropped. I had same issue with mine when it came, appeared to be working all lights on etc but no image. I spent quite a lot of time testing drivers, trying it on different PC's etc to no avail. I would give Bern a call and see what advice he can give.

[ianaiken]

Not that I'm saying you've knocked or dropped it just that its been on multiple vans and knocked around a bit before getting to your door. I wouldn't waste time debugging.

[astroandy101]

Have you tried it with QGvideo and shining a torch at the sensor when its not attached to the scope to see if the screen is changing brightness, with PHD if the camera is shooting the red light will be blinking not just illuminated. I would certainly play with the settings before returning it to Bern

[Digz]

I took the cover off lens and pointed it directly to a light source to make sure it was working and i still got the black screen in PHD.

Had you told PHD to set looped exposures? i.e. set the exposure length, say 1 or 2 secs and then click the icon which looks like a circular arrow. This means PHD is taken continuous exposures and you should then see some change. I would also be tempted to connect it to something i.e your scope, as I know with my CCD if its not connected to anything the PHD screen just looks like static and I cannot see any change.

Worth a little checking through before sending it back.

[Nathan_Pembs]

I'm looking at getting a QHY5, as Digz says, you have to tell the cam to "open its' eyes" and start exposing. Usually 1>2 seconds.

I don't think QHY5's are always gathering images/light like a "typical" webcam would.

[ianaiken]

Test it in QGVIDEO32 app before you do anything else like connecting it to scopes and use a bright light source like the window during the day you should see the window and the outside world as if it were a webcam. If its black picture ring Bern for advice as its likely broken but Bern will advise. If it works then your doing something incorrectly in PHD like not setting it to capture.

I spent around 10 hours trying to debug mine. I had blinking lights as if it was taking exposures for, the blinks were the duration of the exposure length set in PHD but all I ever got was a black screen.

[philip57]

Thanks all. I hadnt clicked on the looping arrow. everything ok now.

One further question :

Bern suggested i attach my QHY5v to my finderscope and guide that way.

If i do that havent i now lost the ability to use my finderscope when doing a wider search for stars, as its taken up with the camera at the eyepiece. I am a bit new to this, so it may be a basic answer

Thanks

Philip

[Black Knight]

You could mount either a Telrad or Rigel finder on your scope to get around the loss of your finderscope. I planned to do this when I was going to use my finder with the QHY5 as a guidescope. In the end though I just bought another scope .... .

[Merlin66]

Before going to on-axis guiding, I had my QHY5 fitted to the ST80, piggyback on the 12" Lx200. I ended up using a flipmirror on the ST80. I could then use it as a finder position the target on crosswires, then flip over to the guide camera which would then "lock-on" for the rest of the night.....

HTH